Western Sydney Diabetes is a partnership between WentWest, the Western Sydney Primary Health Network, Western Sydney Local Health District, Diabetes Australia and 140 member organisations making up the Alliance. Together we’re acting early to prevent diabetes and supporting people living with diabetes to stay well.
Diabetes Hotspot
Western Sydney has some of the highest rates of type 2 diabetes in NSW, with 18% of adults living with diabetes and another 30-40% have prediabetes. Many people are at high risk and don’t know it. Early identification and small lifestyle changes can delay or prevent diabetes altogether.1
Western Sydney Diabetes (WSD), WentWest and our partners are committed to tackling this growing health crisis by increasing awareness, improving early detection, and providing targeted support to at-risk individuals. Its goals are to slow disease progression, reduce the number of people at risk, and enhance long-term health outcomes for those already diagnosed.
2kg Challenge
Weight gain, especially over the last 20 years, has escalated the type 2 diabetes epidemic. We live in an environment that creates challenges for people to adopt a healthy lifestyle with a nutritious diet and appropriate regular physical activity that would contribute to reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, dementia and some cancers.
If you live in Western Sydney you are twice as likely to have diabetes than people living in Sydney’s Eastern or Northern suburbs. You are even at higher risk if you are Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Asian, Middle Eastern, or from the Indian subcontinent or the Pacific Islands.
In response, Western Sydney Changing Diabetes has created the 2kg Challenge, by losing just 2kg you can decrease your risk of developing diabetes by 30%. To find out more and sign up visit the website.
I’d been concerned for some time that I was at risk of developing diabetes, but I didn’t really understand much about it. When an information session was held for people in Western Sydney, I decided to go along. The speakers were inspiring, and the information was excellent but what really caught my attention was the 2kg Challenge. I’ve tried so many weight loss programs over the years, but the big goals always felt overwhelming. Two kilos, though that seemed achievable. And once I’d reached that, I could aim for another two. What made the 2kg Challenge different was the wealth of reliable, easy-to-understand resources. I didn’t have to wade through endless and often unreliable information online. Everything I needed to know about healthy eating and exercise was in one place. The most valuable part for me was discovering the local exercise options. That’s how I found my passion - aqua aerobics. Since then, I haven’t looked back. I lost weight steadily and, for the first time, I’ve kept it off. My doctor has given me a big tick on all my key health markers, and I finally walk into my appointments with pride rather than dread. The 2kg Challenge has truly been life-changing.
Healthy Living
With diabetes continually growing, it impacts the health and well-being of the Western Sydney community. By reducing the growing threat of diabetes, services and programs have been established to help you and your family understand the importance and benefits of living and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation in partnership with Coles, have developed a series of recipes and videos Kitchen Garden Program at home, that you and your family can cook along with at home. The series was developed to support teachers and educators to enhance their kitchen garden classes while teaching remotely, as well as inspire more families to grow, harvest, prepare and share, fresh seasonal delicious food in their homes.
They are also working together to support Kitchen Garden Schools and Centres, and make the Kitchen Garden Program accessible to more schools and centres around the country to help support and encourage Aussie kids with healthy living.
For more information on this program visit their website.
Healthy Living Options, Affordable Food Guide contains lots of practical information for people who want a healthy lifestyle and to reduce their risk of developing diabetes. This is a great resource for recipes, free online cooking classes, and local information about community gardens, where to buy healthy produce and food agencies supplying reduced price or free fresh food to families.
The Healthy Living Western Sydney Guide includes a large range of programs that provide support, teach new skills, and help to motivate you to improve your fitness, or even lose those extra kilograms. As before, the focus is on programs that are either free or very inexpensive.
Resources and Updates
Whether you’re newly diagnosed or managing diabetes long-term, our collection of short, expert-led videos covers everything you need to know. From understanding what diabetes is and how it develops, to practical guidance on diet, exercise, medications, and dealing with complications, we’ve got you covered.
Hear from endocrinologists, dietitians, physiotherapists and diabetes educators as they explain key topics like: what HbA1c means, managing highs and lows, choosing healthier foods, understanding different medications, looking after your feet and eyes, exercising at home, and navigating life with diabetes in day-to-day situations.
Each video is designed to help you learn in your own time, take control of your diabetes, and feel empowered in managing your health.
Browse the categories from diagnosis and mental wellbeing, to nutrition, activity, complications and multicultural support and pick the topics that matter most to you. Watch the videos here.
Western Sydney Diabetes has made a series of short, easy videos in different languages, including Mandarin and Tamil. These videos are for people from different cultural backgrounds who want to learn more about diabetes.
The videos explain:
- What diabetes is and why it can be more common in some communities
- How to look after yourself with healthy food, exercise, and medicines
- Important topics like diabetes in pregnancy, and how to care for your feet and eyes
Watching the videos in your own language can help you understand diabetes better and learn how to manage your health. Watch the videos here.
1. Meyerowitz-Katz G, Seelan S, Gaur P, Francisco R, Ferdousi S, Astell-Burt T, Feng X, Colagiuri S, Maberly G, Hng T-M. Detecting the hidden burden of pre-diabetes and diabetes in Western Sydney. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2019;151:247–251.